Hoarseness or complete loss of your voice is caused by a condition called laryngitis in which the voice box (larynx) becomes inflamed. Laryngitis has many causes, so if you are aiming to eliminate your voice on purpose, you have a variety of potential options. However, do so with caution - this is usually accompanied by significant pain and/or irritation. See Step 1 below to get started. Note: If you're looking for a way to get your voice back after you've lost it, take a look at How to Recover Your Voice After Losing It.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Recommended Ways
Step 1. Talk, talk, talk
The easiest way to lose your voice is to simply use your voice mailbox until it can no longer be used. Vocal activities like talking, shouting, singing, etc. requires the vocal cords of the larynx to vibrate smoothly - with overuse, they can become inflamed, interfering with your ability to do these things. Try to talk continuously at a reasonable volume wherever you are. With persistence, your voice should eventually start to weaken.
If you're looking for opportunities to speak loudly and at length, consider enrolling in a public speaking course or simply having a conversation in a busy bar or club
Step 2. Sing
Singing can be very demanding on the vocal cords - singing at a high volume or at a very low or high pitch, even more. This danger is amplified if you are not a trained or experienced singer. So, for a powerful way to ruin your voice, try singing at full volume at a vocal level that is difficult for you.
- Obviously, you want to make it clear to avoid doing warm-up exercises before singing.
- If you're shy about singing loudly, try singing in a car with all the doors closed and the windows up. Other motorists will assume you're just singing along to the radio.
Step 3. Cough
While it's not uncommon for people with colds to cough until they lose their voice, you don't have to have a cold to cough. Any type of repeated coughing will irritate your larynx and eventually lead to inflammation, which can cause you to lose your voice. Try combining your cough with one of the other methods in this article for maximum effect.
Like shouting and singing, excessive coughing in the long term can cause permanent pain and damage to the throat
Step 4. Keep your mouth open
As discussed above, a dry throat will become a throat that gets tired easily. To speed up the process of eliminating your voice, allow your mouth and throat to dry by keeping your mouth open throughout the day. This will work especially if you live in a dry climate.
If you're worried about how you'll look with an "open mouth" appearance, try sleeping with your mouth open, so no one will see you
Step 5. Don't drink water
Well-lubricated vocal cords are the enemy of anyone whose goal is to get rid of his voice. In fact, people who speak or sing in their professional capacities often prepare a glass of water on stage to protect their vocal cords. If you're trying to drown out your voice, do the opposite! Do not relieve your tired vocal cords with a refreshing sip of water after you talk, shout or sing.
- Be reasonable when dealing with this rule - don't avoid any source of moisture to the point where you become dehydrated.
- If you're looking for a water alternative that will tire your throat even more, try an acidic or milky drink (see below for more info).
Step 6. Consume acidic foods and/or milk
Certain types of food and drink, especially highly acidic foods (lemon, vinegar, etc.) and dairy products cause the throat of most people to produce phlegm. While phlegm on its own won't irritate your vocal cords, it will stimulate coughing, which can be irritating. So, if you are looking for a way to get rid of your voice, try consuming the types of food and drink associated with one of the other ways in this article.
Step 7. Drink very cold water
Some people know that very cold drinks can have the same phlegm-producing effect as milk and acidic foods and drinks. Try drinking a glass of cold water to test the effect on your throat - if you feel that you are producing a lot of phlegm after drinking a cold drink, you may want to use this method to motivate yourself to cough.
Method 2 of 2: Unrecommended Ways
Step 1. Shout
The harder you work your vocal cords, the faster you'll tire them out. Yelling and screaming strains your vocal cords more than normal speech and should lead to a hoarse voice or shortness of breath. For maximum results, try to scream as loud as possible. However, keep in mind that screaming like this can be very painful and can even cause permanent damage.
If you're worried about disturbing people with your yelling, try attending an event where people are encouraged to scream, such as a sports game or rock concert
Step 2. Get yourself a cold
Often, when a person loses their voice, it is because they have just had a cold. If you're really serious about losing your voice, consider putting yourself in a situation where you're more likely to catch a cold. For example, you may want to spend time with friends who have colds and get less sleep than you normally need. However, obviously, deliberately giving yourself a cold can cause a lot of unpleasant side effects, including fever, nausea, aches and malaise, so stay away from cold viruses unless you're really serious about losing your voice!
It's likely to go away without a message, but, to be absolutely clear, it's never a good idea to intentionally expose yourself to a serious illness. Use common sense
Step 3. Make your allergies worse
Allergies are known to cause throat irritation and hoarseness under certain circumstances. If you have a history of mild allergies and have had sore throats caused by your allergies in the past, you may want to expose yourself to the allergen to help you get rid of your voice. For example, if you have seasonal allergies that are triggered by pollen, in addition to using one of the methods above, you might want to go for a walk in the garden and smell some flowers!
If you have a serious allergy, don't play with danger by triggering an allergic reaction, just to drown out your voice. Severe allergic attacks can be fatal
Step 4. Don't give your voice a chance to rest
Over time, the body will heal most throat irritations on its own. If you want to lose your voice, don't let this happen! The less you allow your larynx to rest, the faster you will be able to lose your voice. Push through fatigue!
However, keep in mind that you are putting your voice at risk by doing so. Burning out your voice (especially by doing it repeatedly over a long period of time) can cause permanent vocal damage. For example, many singers who previously had strong vocals experienced a decline in their abilities after years of vocal fatigue
Tips
- If you scream to drown out your voice, consider screaming into your pillow so you don't startle your neighbors.
- Instead of actually losing your voice, instead, you may want to learn how to fake your voice loss.
Warning
- Another thing you want to avoid when trying to get rid of your voice is acid reflux, a painful condition in which acid from the stomach rises up into the throat, causing irritation. Although acid reflux is very unpleasant, which is unlikely to be anyone who will try to do it to drown out the sound, it is worth mentioning that repeated acid reflux can put the throat at a higher risk of developing cancer.
- Some of the things that can cause you to lose your voice can be very dangerous to your health, so you'll want to avoid them, even if you should remove your voice. For example, smoking can make you lose your voice, but it is a very bad idea, because tobacco use has been linked to a variety of health problems, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema and many more.
